ABSTRACT
Isolation and clean-up are considered to be of great importance in thefieldof residue analysis. In general, problems are related to the low levels at which individual compounds usually occur and the complexity of extraction and clean-up procedures to isolate and separate analytes from matrix components and other contaminants. In the last decade, several solutions have been found to increase method sensitivity and to improve specificity, not least by the development of highly sophisticated instrumentation to separate and detect the compounds of interest. However, the accuracy of the analytical techniques employed for residue analysis depends on the adequacy of the sample preparation method used to isolate the target analyte(s) from the sample matrix. Compounds of interest must be released and recovered from complex matrices prior to the application of highly sensitive analytical measurements. Sample preparation methods must be designed to quantitatively recover the target species from a complex background of potentially interfering matrix co-extractives in a manner which also preserves analyte integrity.
